Opening ceremony of the ASAN Artificial Intelligence Platform (ASAN AI Hub) held
The presentation ceremony for the ASAN Artificial Intelligence platform (ASAN AI Hub), created on the initiative of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, took place on December 2, 2025.
The main purpose of the platform (https://asanhub.ai/) is to bring together researchers, government agencies, the private sector, and individual users in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in Azerbaijan onto a unified digital platform. The ASAN AI Hub will promote open innovation and serve as a bridge between government agencies, the private sector, and universities. Technological challenges will be announced openly on the platform, giving students, academics, entrepreneurs, and public organizations the opportunity to apply with their solutions and compete for a prize pool.
Ulvi Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, emphasized the importance of the platform for the country's artificial intelligence ecosystem. He stated that the ASAN AI Hub was established in accordance with the directives voiced by President Ilham Aliyev during his speech at the meeting dedicated to the 80th-anniversary jubilee of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. The platform unites the public services sector, business entities, research centers, and the startup ecosystem, acting as a bridge in the development of AI-based solutions.
Subsequently, Sahib Alakbarov, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Samir Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, noted the significance of the ASAN AI Hub from the perspective of digital transformation, economic development, and the strengthening of scientific potential.
Steve Nouri, CEO and Co-Founder of “GenAI Works” – a global AI platform boasting a 14-million-strong community and offering accessible learning, application, and growth opportunities for everyone – delivered a speech on the topic “Generative AI Today, 2025” sharing insights into global trends, technological development, and AI application opportunities.
During the event, memoranda of understanding were signed between the ASAN AI Hub and “Apolitical”, “Breakthrough Social Enterprise”, and “GenAI Works”. These collaborations will strengthen the center's integration into the international innovation ecosystem.
The event continued with a panel discussion titled “Open Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: A Bridge for Everyone”. The panel featured Laman Ibrahimova, Head of the ASAN AI Hub; Steve Nouri, CEO and Co-Founder of “GenAI Works”; Khaladdin Rzayev, Co-Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations and Lecturer in Finance at the University of Edinburgh; and Fu Zhiyong, Associate Professor at the Department of Information Art and Design at Tsinghua University. Moderated by Katherine Miller Weber, Director of Partnerships at “Apolitical”, the panel discussed open innovation models, public-private sector partnerships, inclusivity, and principles of responsibility.